World Cup matches today: 4 teams in action this Thursday | OneFootball

Two matches kick off the 2026 World Cup

The big day has arrived! This Thursday (11), four national teams take the field to kick off the 2026 World Cup. After four years of waiting, the ball officially starts rolling for the biggest and most-watched sporting event on the planet.

WHICH WORLD CUP MATCHES ARE ON TODAY?

The first big showdown takes place at 4 p.m. (Brasília time), when Mexico hosts South Africa at Azteca Stadium, located in Mexico City. This match not only opens Group A, but also marks the beginning of the sporting festivities that promise to bring the world to a halt over the next few weeks.

Later, at 11 p.m. (Brasília time), public attention turns to Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico, where South Korea faces the Czech Republic. All teams are looking for a positive result to start the competition with confidence and gain an advantage right in the opening round.

WORLD CUP WITH NEW FEATURES?

This edition of the World Cup stands as the largest group stage in the history of the competition. In total, 48 national teams, divided into 12 groups, will play matches across three host countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

In this way, the new format expands participation from 32 to 48 teams and introduces an extra knockout stage, while keeping the traditional round-robin model over three matchdays within each group.

WHEN DOES THE BRAZIL NATIONAL TEAM MAKE ITS DEBUT?

The Brazil national team, which is in Group C, takes the field for the first time this Saturday (13), when it faces Morocco. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. (Brasília time) at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, United States.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.